Concrete-block-making machine.



G. F. SIMMONS.

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE.

. Anucmou FILED ran. 1. m1.

1,245,994.. Patented. Nov; 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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G. F SIMMONS.

CONCRETE BLOCK MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 51 l h 1i wztnejs Inventor:

M I B, @xywmay m'w Patented NOV. 6, 1917.

'UNTTED STATES PATENTflFFliGE enone'n r.' SIMMONS, on AMES, IOWA.

CQNCRETE-BLOCK-MAKING 1V[.A.CI-II1 TF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed February 7, 1917. Serial No. 147,237. r

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it. known that I, GEORGE F. S MMons, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Ames, in the county of Story, State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and use-,

ful Concrete-Block-Making Machine, of

which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a concrete block'makingmachine, of simple, durable and inexpensive construction. I

A further object is to provide a machine of the general class mentioned, having a frame with a mold box supported thereon,

and having improved means for supporting the mold box rigidly on the frame.

A further object is to provide in such a machine a frame adapted to support pallets of different kinds, and particularly to support a pallet for making a cornerblock,

for finishing a corner leaving a continuous air space in a wall.

A further ob ect is to provide in such a machine, a reclprocating frame carrying a core.

V A further object is to provide in such a machine, suitable mechanism for reciprocating a core, and to provide a suitable core controlled by said last named mechanism.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 1 I

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a concrete block making machine, embodying my invention. v

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows a vertical, sectional View.

v Fig. 7 shows aperspective 'view of a corner block made on my improved machine. In the accompanying drawings, I have shownmy improved machine comprising a main frame having the upright corner members 10, preferably made of angle iron. At

, their lower ends, the corner members 10, at

the ends of the machine, are 'connectedjby tudinal frame members ,12. V

The frame has at its topflongitudinal, horizontal side members 13, and transverse end frame members 14:. All the frame members mentioned are preferably, of angle iron.

Supported on the members 14:, near one side of the machine, is a flat plate in Figs. 2 and 3.

Secured to one of the members 14c, near but spaced from one end thereof, is a support- 15, shown ing plate 16 extending toward the opposite end of the machine and terminating near the middle of the machine from end to end and having at its inner end a lateral extension 17 extending and secured to the adjacent member 13. v

The special utility of the members 16 and 17 will be hereinafter referred to. 1

Supported on the fiat plate 15 and on one of the frame members 13, is an upwardly opening channel 18 extending across the frame of the machine from end to end.

Preferably resting upon the inner upwardly extending flange of the channel18,

is the rear upright side wall 19 of a mold a box having a pairof outwardly extending lugs 20 resting above and upon the upwardly extending flanges of the channel 18, as clearly shown in. Figs. 2, 3 andt.

- Extended through the lugs 20, and through the bottoms of the channels 18, and through the plate 15 are bolts 21, whereby the mold box member 19 is rigidly supported on the frame of the machine and is raised above the frame a suflicient distance,

so that the upper surfaces of the pallets will be flush with the lower edge of the mold box wall. i

End mold members 22 and 23 are hingedly supported on the rear wall member 19, by means of bearing members 24 and 25 and a pintle 26. The bearing members 24:, on the end mold box members, have openings transverse frame members 11, and longi:

to register with openings in. the bearing members on the rear wall member 19 to admit the pintles 26, which have rightangled extensions 27 at tieir upper ends.

The bearing members 25 at each end of the wall member 19 are preferably arranged respectively just below and just above the upper and lower bearing members 24 of the adjacent end member, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. A front mold 'box wall member 28 is hinged to the end member 23 in the manner just described.

The free end of the front wall member 28 of the mold is provided with a keeper 29 adapted to receive a latch device 30 pivoted on the outside of the end member- 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for locking the mold walls in their proper assembled positions.

When it is desired to open the mold box, the free end of the latch 30 is raised, where- Wardly, asshown in Fig. 5.

At each end of the machine is a pair of upright spaced angle bars 31, forming a guide device for a second frame, which is the reciprocating frame, which supports the core and comprises the upright end members 32 connected near their upper and lower ends by members 33 extending across the machine from end to end. The members 33 have ends which project-beyond the members 32 and between the. members of therespective pairs of guide members 31, as 7 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The members 32 at their upper ends project beyond the upper member 33 and-have inwardly extending opposite horizontal projections 34 to which may be 'detachably bolted a flat bar 35, which supports the mold.

The following described mechanism.may be used for reciprocating the second frame which has just been described.

Suitably mounted in transverse frame members 36 is a shaft 37 extending across the machine from end to end, and having at one end a disk 38,.provided with a notch 39. On the same end of the shaft 37 is a crank handle 40. A pawl 41 is pivoted to the frame near the disk 38 and has a lever arm 42 extending downwardly and toward the front of the machine and terminating in a foot pedal 43. A spring 44 secured to me arm 42 and to the frame of the machine, yieldingly holds the pawl 41 in engagement with the disk 38.

Fixed to the shaft 37 near the central part thereof, is a drum or pulley '45. Mounted on or fixed to the drum or pulley 45 is a flexible device 46, which is also secured to the lower portion of the second or reciproeating frame. Another flexible device 47 wound on the drum or pulley 45 is secured masses the general type mentioned, adapted :to be employed at the corner of a building.

This corepreferably comprises a hollow metallic core member having the spaced walls 48 extending upwardly from the bolt 35, and spaced from-each other fromwfront to rear in the machine. I

The core walls-48 are so arranged that when the core is in its upper-position, the

walls 48 atone end thereof-are adjacent to the end walls 22 of the mold box. The other ends of the walls 48 terminate short of theend wall'23 of the mold'box,.and are provided with lateral extensions .48. spaced from each-other, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, and adapted to fit snugly against the wall 23, when the core is in its raised position. Theicover member 50 hasan extension 50 above the wall .members 48 It will be seen that the core has in general the shape of an l. laid out in plan, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 4 and,5. The cover members 50 and 50 and the wall members 48and 48 are provided with suitable slots '49 and 51, into which reinforcing wires or the like 52 may be lIlSQltGCl. for rigidly con necting those parts of a -plastic block which may be located on opposite sides of the core in the mold box.

In Fig.5, I have showna pallet of the form adapted-to be used with a mold for corner blocks of the type just above described. This pallet may comprise ,two

parallel end member 53 adapted to extend transversely in the :machine just outside the ends of the machine and along side the members 14, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A palletmember 5:4rests uponthe members 53 and connects one end of one member 53 with one end of the other member .53, as

shown in Fig. 6.

Resting upon the other end of one member 53 is a pallet member 55 arrangedparallel with a portion of the parallel ,member 54 but considerably shorter than the member 54, as shown.

shown in Fig. 6, and extending toward, but

terminating short of the member 55. A pallet member 57 rests upon and connects the members 54 and 56 and is countersunk therein.

It will be understood that there is a space between the members 54 and 55 indicated by the reference characters 59 between the inner ends of the members 55 and 56 to permit the free passage of the core.

The members 54, 55 and 57 form the portions of the pallet which support the plastic block in the course of being molded.

The pallet, shown in Fig. 6, is installed on the frame of the machine with the member 54 resting upon the frame members .14, and with the member 55 resting upon the member 14 and the member 16.

The importance of the member 16 for supporting the free end of the member 55 will now be obvious. v

In the practical use of my improved ma chine, the pallet having been properly installed, when the core is in its lower position, the crank handle 40 is then properly operated for raising the core to its position shown in Fig. 3. When the core reaches its raised position, the pawl 41 will drop into the notch 39, whereby the core will be held in its raised position.

In Fig. 4, I have shown the pallet in its position in the machine with the core raised. The spaces on opposite sides of the core are then gradually filled with plastic material such as concrete which is suitably tamped, as it is placed in the mold box at suitable heights in the block thus in the course of formation. Reinforcing wires or rods 52 are placed in the plastic material, being extended across the core by being received in the slots 49 and 51. When the box is filled, the top of a block is smoothed off in any ordinary way, the core is lowered by means of a crank handle, after the pawl has been released by means of the foot pedal 43. The latch 30 may be released and the mold box wall swung to open position, as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon the pallet may be seized by its projecting ends, clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and removed from the machine with the completely formed block thereon for allowing the block to cure.

Another pallet may then be installed on the machine and the process of making the blocks repeated.

It is obvious that by slightly varying the shape of the pallet, and of the core, blocks may be made having a continuous air space from end to end, or from side to side.

My machine is thus adapted for making a variety of blocks of different shapes.

With the corner block mold mechanism shown, I can make a corner block 60, shown in Fig. 7, having a continuous air space terminating at one end, and at one side of the block, so that the air space in the side of the building may be connected with the air space at the end of a building by using this type of block at the corner of the building.

Some changes may be made in my machine, without departing from the essential spirits and purposes of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by the patent to be issued herein, any modified forms of structure, or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be included within the reasonable scope of my claims.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a plastic block making machine, a frame having at its upper end longitudinal side members and transverse end members, adapted to support a pallet, a member projecting into the space between said members connected at one end with one of said frame members and having a lateral extension connected with another of said frame members, which is at right-angles to said first frame member, a reciprocating frame mounted on the first frame, a core mounted on said reciprocating frame having a lateral extension, a core box at the upper end of the firstv frame, and a pallet having a transverse longitudinal side member, transverse end members below said side members arranged to be outside the outlines of said first named transverse end members, a transverse member with its upper surface flush with the upper surface of said side member of said pallet, a second longitudinal side member resting on one of the end members of said pallet and supporting the free end of said last described transverse member of the pallet, and a side member resting upon the opposite end member of thepallet and projecting toward said second side member, the free end of said last named side member being adapted to rest upon the member projecting into the space between the frame members of the machine.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame having in its upper end longitudinal side members, and transverse end members adapted to support a pallet, an upwardly opening channel arranged above said frame adjcent to one side thereof, amold wall resting on one flange of said channel, having lugs extending across said channel and resting upon the other flange thereof, bolts extended through said lugs and channel and secured to the frame of the machine, end mold walls pivoted to said first mold wall, and a second side wall pivoted to one of said end mold walls.

Des Moines, Iowa, January 19, 1917.

GEORGE F. SIMIMONS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the (Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

